Defiant Love
by Liberty Roth
Summary: Sokka wakes Toph in the middle of the night to tell her something important, but Toph keeps interrupting. Tokka fluff.


This story is so fluffy I could use it as a pillow when I sleep. If you don't like Tokka, then don't read this story, 'cause that's what it is. Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Just the story below.

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"Toph?"

The gentle, low whisper of Sokka made the Earthbender's eyes snap open, though of course she couldn't see. "What?" she asked loudly in return, maybe a little too loudly. Aang and Katara, who were supposedly asleep, stirred slightly.

"You know… you know when I told you about Yue?" he asked slowly, softly stroking her cheek with his dark fingers. Toph wasn't surprised at his touch; she had gotten used to it over the past three years. The four teenagers were still traveling together, even now that the war was over. They couldn't settle down, everything seemed boring after their travels. So the group of young people traveled all over the four nations, visiting every place they wanted to, via Appa.

Toph nodded, afraid to speak again. She wasn't very good at being quiet, she was a very loud fifteen-year-old.

Sokka stopped touching her cheek, letting his palm cup the side of her face that wasn't pressed into a sleeping bag. "I don't want that to happen to you." He murmured softly, flexing his fingers hesitantly against the pale side of her face. "I want to be there to protect you."

"Jeez." Toph complained, closing her eyes as she prepared to go to sleep. "You woke me for that? How stupid." She declared bluntly, knocking his hand off of her face as she cuddled against her plush sleeping bag, huddling under the blankets.

Sokka let out a scoff, clearly offended at her dismissal. "You're _mad_ at me? I don't believe it. I was trying to tell you how much I care about you – how I would die if anything happened to you, and here you are, laughing at me."

Toph opened her milky eyes again, propping her head up on her elbow as she faced Sokka. She held up a finger with her free hand, speaking, "First of all, Sokka, I wasn't laughing." She said, and held up another finger. "Two, nothing will happen to me."

"Stop trying to be tough, Toph, I know how cute you are deep down." Sokka said, his voice raising slightly.

"Well stop being a baby!" she commanded, and again Aang stirred, Katara rolling over in her sleep. Sokka glanced over his shoulder, to look at his sister and the Avatar.

"I'm trying to tell you something important, and you're just blowing me off, Toph!" he said angrily, his voice just as loud as hers now.

Toph pulled her blanket over her head, and even though her voice was muffled by it, her shouting could still be heard. "It's probably something I already know! It's not important enough to wake me up before dawn!" she shouted, curling her knees to her chest as she tried to fall asleep.

But Sokka wouldn't let her fall asleep, not while he had the courage to say what he needed to say. "Toph! Just listen to me! Please, please, please! Stop being a brat, and just listen!" he said angrily.

"Fine! Talk already, Ponytail!" the fifteen-year-old shouted to the older boy, pulling her blanket off with a flourish and a _humph_.

Sokka opened and closed his mouth, his eyes wide in surprise. She was actually caving in! This was his moment of opportunity. He took a deep breath, and let it go slowly. "Toph, I just wanted to say – "

"Are you done arguing yet, Sokka? There are others here besides you and Toph, you know. Some of us like to sleep, rather than argue!"

It was neither Toph, nor Sokka who just spoke. The Earthbender and the warrior both looked over at the girl who had spoken: Katara. They had waken her up in their arguing, but Aang was apparently still asleep.

"I was almost done, Katara! Sheesh, you don't even let me finish…" Sokka grumbled, his ears turning red as he turned back to Toph. He took another breath, closing his eyes as he prepared to speak.

"Today would be nice, Ponytail." Toph spat at him, sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest impatiently. Sokka sighed, and reached for her hands, slowly forcing her arms to uncross.

"Toph… We've been traveling together for four years. I used to think of you as a friend. But now…" Sokka trailed off, trying to find his courage. He took a breath, pressing onward. "You're more than a friend to me, I – "

Toph rolled her eyes, milky pupils swirling. She drummed her fingers against his, signaling that he should hurry up and say what he was going to say.

"Toph, I love you."

The words tumbled quickly from Sokka's mouth, so quickly in fact that Toph didn't quite understand him. "What?" she asked loudly, breaking the silence that had spread over their camp. Aang was apparently now awake, sitting bolt upright when he heard Sokka say those four words. Katara had a hand over her mouth, staring wide-eyed at Sokka and Toph.

Sokka looked embarrassed, now he would have to say it _twice_. "I said… I love you." He said softly, and pulled her hand to his mouth. He softly kissed her knuckles, not even caring that they were dirty with earth.

"Yeah, yeah." Toph said bluntly, and pulled her hand away from his. She curled back up on her sleeping bag, pulling her blanket over her head.

Sokka stared at her, mouth open. So this was what rejection felt like. His heart was ripping in two, he could feel it. The world was starting to slant, black fuzziness going around the edges. She didn't love him, she didn't love him, she didn't love him –

"Oh, Sokka…" the soft words came from Katara's lips as she moved towards her brother, but he shook his head.

"Just… go back to sleep, Katara." He said softly, lying back down next to Toph. Katara nodded sadly, and slowly went back to her mat, closing her eyes. Aang did the same, although Katara and Aang both knew they wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight. Too much had occurred.

Sokka had his eyes squeezes shut tightly, desperately not trying to cry. Minutes past while he was concentrating on not letting his tears show, when he caught the scent of earth.

"I love you, too, Ponytail." Toph's voice was actually low for once, quiet. She was very close to him, he could smell her crisp scent, see every one of her black eyelashes.

"Really?" he asked, his voice wobbling through the tears that hadn't come.

A grin broke out across the blind girl's face, although her eyes were still closed. "Don't make me repeat myself, Sokka." She ordered, resting her face against his chest. Sokka nodded, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Okay."

"Sokka?"

"Hmm, Toph?"

"Goodnight." She said softly.

"Goodnight, Toph." He said, kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Toph said with a small sigh of contention.

Sokka grinned devilishly. "What was that? I didn't quite catch that. Did you say –"

"Ponytail." Toph began, placing a dusty finger against his lips.

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."


End file.
